Chapter 28

|3rd POV|

It might look fine from the outside, but if they know the people of Lys, they know that something is not right in the city of pleasure. Something is stirring within the people of Lys. Gone is the hopelessness in the eyes of the slaves. Now, there is a fire in their eyes. Fire that is ready to burst and burn anything in its path.

One slave managed to get away from his captor and enter a house from the empty alley. As he enters the building, he can see a man nod his head, which lets him enter the hidden trap door near the corner of the room.

He walks deeper into the underground room for a minute before seeing his comrades, fellow slaves, waiting for someone to sing for them. He remembers his son very well. It was a song created by their king, the breaker of chains, Viserys Targaryen.

A bard from Stellaris came to Lys and spread the song Viserys wrote. It was spread among the slaves and awakened the spirit inside of them that long died after being captured.

The room becomes quiet when they see a bard walk to the podium and take a deep breath. A second later, the bard starts to sing.

"Do you hear the people sing? Singing the songs of angry men? It is the music of the people. Who will not be slaves again!"

The song awakens some inside of them. The new slaves look at the bard in awe and start to feel hope once again.

"Will you join in our crusade? Who will be strong and stand with me? Beyond the barricade, is there a world you long to see?"

An image appears in their mind—an image of starting anew without the chain around their neck and legs. An image of family that they can come back to. An image of their old home.

"Then join in the fight that will give you the right to be free!"

After the music ends, the bard looks at them and says,

"In a week. Breaker of Chain shall come to Lys with his army. If you want your freedom, stand up and grab it. The age of slavery shall end, and he shall be the first one to take that first step! If you want your freedom, take it and stand alongside us."

The bard starts to leave but stops before he can get out of the podium to speak one last word.

"Join the banner of the sun, and your freedom shall appear in front of your eyes."

The bard leaves the stage and walks out of the underground room. He needs to spread the news to the other group as well. He is among the group whose job is to recruit people in the liberation movement.

Lately, their job is getting easier because the rich start to get paranoid after some of their slaves manage to run away and reach Stellaris. After losing more than two hundred slaves over the past few years, they started to use harsh punishment on anyone they thought wanted to run away.

It gets so bad that the punishment manages to kill some of the slaves. The number is not high, but the bards and spies sent by Melisandre increase the number through rumors and songs.

And it is working as the slave owner did not do anything to prevent the rumor from going around. Some are even willing to take that rumor and proudly say what he has done to a slave who tries to run away.

The small kindle of fire now turns into a full fire that is ready to burn the entire island.

It also helped that the Solaris Kingdom increased its army and fleet. However, it is not a merchant fleet but rather a military fleet. People can see them and know that the time of freedom will soon arrive, and they need to act.

Will they stay and do nothing, or grab the flag and join the banner?

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I look at the massive ship in front of me with a smile on my face—thousands of tons of wood were used to build three dozen ships for the incoming fight. We managed to get two thousand people to join the army.

They are the people who hate slavery and willingly join the army after hearing the incoming fight against Lys. The salary is also something that makes them join the army. I use a modern way of payment, but I also make sure to use a modern military structure.

You will get good money from the army, but you need to do strict training and follow all the rules. If they break the rules, they will get strictly punished. You cannot get drunk while on duty, and you need to bring someone who will be sober alongside you when you go to the tavern. Lastly, there will be no looting, no r*pe, or anything that will smear the name of the army. 

With this, we will be welcomed with an open arm when we take over the entire island.

Fear is a great tool for ruling, but it needs to be balanced with respect.

That can only mean one thing. Put the fear of gods into my enemy and show kindness to my people to gain respect and fear at the same time.

Now, we only need to make the equipment for the army. I already make a lot of leather armor for my army alongside shields for them. As for their weapon, Ser Willem tells me not to waste good iron and only use some of them to make a spear instead of a sword.

The reason? It is more effective in war than a sword—especially the sword from Minecraft. The sword did not have enough reach for it to be effective in war. Spear is more effective because it is easy to use and does not need extra training to make it effective on the battlefield.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

I look to the side and see Ser Willem standing next to me while looking at the fleet of ships in front of us.

"Aye. When are they ready?"

"In a couple of days, Your Highness. We can depart in a week."

I nod and look to the sky.

"Ser Willem, do you think that this is the right decision? Will it deter the other from attacking us, or will it encourage them to attack us?"

"I don't know, Your Highness. Maybe the others will start to see us as a strong kingdom and hesitate to attack our fleet like before, but it can be the opposite. However, there is one thing that I know. We will continue to fight as long as you are the one leading us."

"There will be a lot of blood."

"The blood of the martyrs will water the meadow of Lys. That is the word you utter that day, and the others agree. They will sacrifice themselves for a better future and know you will bring them the better future they desire."

Willem looks at me with a sad smile.

"I know that it is a heavy burden for someone as young as you, Your Highness. However, we will help you carry that burden until the day you die."

I take a deep breath and look at the blue sky.

"You are right, Ser Willem."

I raise my hand and say.

"For a better future."

He smiles and also raises his hand.

"For a better future."